Fifty-nine percent, meanwhile, lay some responsibility on the Clinton administration, saying Bill Clinton also should have done more to detect and prepare for a possible terrorist attack on the United States.
Forty-eight percent of those polled say Bush did enough with the information he received warning that Osama bin Laden might be planning an airline hijacking; 39 percent say he did not (the remainder were undecided).
Bush’s approval ratings stand at a strong 73 percent, down from a high of 88 percent in October. More than three-quarters of Americans (76 percent) also say they still approve of the way he’s handling the war against terrorism, down slightly from 86 percent in late January.
A slim 55 percent majority say the Bush administration should have issued public warnings about possible airline hijackings before September 11. But two-thirds (67 percent) of those polled say the warning would not have prevented the terrorist attacks, while one-quarter say they would have done so (7 percent were unsure). More than three-quarters (77 percent) of those surveyed say the FBI should have investigated all Arab nationals taking pilot training in the United States before September 11. Eighty-five percent of Americans say the U.S. government should have put those Arab student pilots under observation when the FBI raised questions about them, 42 percent say they should have been sent home, and 29 percent say they should have been taken into custody.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans polled say the FBI and CIA deserve a lot (39 percent) or at least some (35 percent) of the blame for allowing the attacks to happen by failing to identify and stop terrorist plots from being carried out. But less than one-quarter of those polled (23 percent) say that the top officials in charge at the CIA and FBI at the time of the attacks should be fired; 65 percent say they should not (12 are unsure). The majority of Americans say a lot (56 percent) or some (26 percent) of the blame should be placed on inadequate security at airports. Nonetheless, 68 percent say Congress should investigate the intelligence failures in connection with the attacks, and 52 percent say that it is an appropriate issue to be debated during the upcoming Congressional campaign as well.
For the NEWSWEEK poll, Princeton Survey Research Associates interviewed by telephone 1,002 adults aged 18 and older May 16-17. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. This NEWSWEEK poll is part of the May 27 issue (on newsstands Monday, May 20).
